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Diabetes > Treatment of Hypoglycemia
What is hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia is an abnormally low level of blood sugar (blood glucose). Generally, a level below 70 mg/dl is called low blood sugar.
What are the symptoms?
A person with hypoglycemia may feel shaky, weak, drowsy, confused, hungry, and dizzy. Paleness, headache, irritability, trembling, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and a cold clammy feeling are also signs of low blood sugar. In severe cases, a person can lose consciousness and even lapse into a coma.
What are the causes?
Hypoglycemia can happen when:
- You take your medication but don’t eat on time
- You don’t eat enough for the amount of medication you have taken
- You skip a meal
- You drink too much alcohol
- You exercise more than usual
What can I do?
Treat your blood sugar with one of these items. Wait 15 minutes and test your blood sugar again. If blood sugar is less than 70, treat yourself again. If your blood glucose improves to above 90 mg/dl, eat a small snack or eat the scheduled meal or snack.
- 3 hard candies (not sugar free)
- 8 lifesavers
- 10 jellybeans
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- ½ cup grape or cranberry juice
- ½ cup regular soda (avoid cola or pepper type)
- 3-4 glucose tablets